The Set Up
by Mandarax
Summary: This is one set up General Jack O'Neill just can't ignore.


The Set Up

This is one Set up General Jack O'Neill just can't ignore.

Rated K

Disclaimer –Sure.

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"Jack," he lifted his glass of whiskey to his lips, "You are a good man, I have thought so since the first moment I've heard of you. I just don't understand one thing," and he took a swig from his glass.

"What's that, sir?"

He weighed the whiskey on his tongue and swallowed slowly, enjoying the lingering taste in his mouth. "See, you saved the world a countless number of times, you're a general, you're in charge of one of the biggest secrets this country, this world, has, and you have no one to share it with."

O'Neill gave his friend a look, "I have you, Sir."

"Last I checked, Jack, I'm a married man. I'm pretty sure the ring confirms it," he indicated to the ring on his finger. "But that's what I'm talking about, Jack! You need someone to talk to that you don't need to put a sir at the end of every sentence with."

"I don't always have to use Sir," Jack shrugged, "Mr. President."

Hayes chuckled, "Out of all my advisers, I knew I liked you best."

Jack nodded, unsure what to say.

"Anyway, Jack," Hayes refilled his guest's whiskey glass, "What I'm trying to say is that you need someone to share your life with."

"It wasn't a substantial desire until now, sir, what with all the gate hopping and all that."

"You haven't been through the Stargate in over a year, General," the President gently reminded his friend of his position. "Not unless there is a gate in DC and if there is I want to go through."

Jack muttered something incoherent.

"She's what?" Hayes asked, a grin on his face.

"She is still gate hopping."

Hayes sipped his whiskey. "I knew there had to be a she."

Jack made a face, a one shouldered shrug.

Hayes searched his face for a minute, "I wouldn't happen to know her, now would I?"

When he received no response, Hayes pushed on. "A certain Lieutenant Colonel, maybe?"

The General's lack of response only egged the President on. "One you know very well, perhaps? You've spent years as her CO?"

Jack kept silent which made his commander in chief only more certain of himself.

"Well, as far as I know, you're not her CO anymore."

Jack nodded slowly.

"So?"

Jack wondered why Hayes was pushing the issue so hard. "It… I… She… Colorado…. Washington…"

"Excuses!" Hayes jumped from his seat and waved Jack back down when the General rose as sign of respect. He rounded his desk and poured more whiskey into his glass. He brought the bottle back with him so it was closer when either he or his guest wanted or needed more of the liquid. "Of all the words that describe you and I have heard so many from so many people, both good and bad, coward was never one of them."

There was nothing Jack could say. No, he wasn't a coward. But this was not fear, either.

"Tell you what, General O'Neill," Hayes retook his seat. "This is just between you and me, there is nothing more confidential than what I am about to tell you."

That piqued Jack's interest. "Not a word, sir."

"Deep down, and not a word about it General, I am a hopeless romantic."

Jack was confused. "Sir?"

"I am making it my personal mission to get you two together."

"With all due respect, Sir, I don't think she feels the same way anymore."

"Anymore?" Hayes's eyebrows rose.

Jack immediately jumped to the defense of his favorite colonel, "There was never anything inappropriate between us, Sir."

"Ahh, Jack, I know that!" Hayes dismissed the idea. "I'm amending my own personal mission. If Colonel Carter feels the same way, I will get the two of you together."

Jack just shook his head. He'd formed some kind of bond of friendship with President Hayes back when he was in command of the SGC. Now that he was in DC, that bond only strengthened and Jack knew he got to see sides of the Commander in Chief that not many others were privy to. This was one of them.

"Sir – "

"Ah ah, Jack, don't argue with your commander in chief."

Jack knew he lost the battle. He only hoped the president would be tactful enough to do whatever he was going to do in a way that won't embarrass Carter.

It was on the following day, after the weekly SGC conference call that he found out just how wrong he'd been about that.

"Hank," Hayes spoke loudly into the speaker on his phone, "if you wouldn't mind staying on the line for a moment."

"Yes, Mr. President," Landry's voice came over the speaker.

Hayes looked up from the phone. "Thank you all, John, Jim, Steve," he nodded to the various aids and generals that usually gathered for the weekly conference call with the SGC. "Jack, if you wouldn't mind staying a moment," the President smiled.

Jack swallowed. "Of course, Sir."

When the others left the office, Hayes continued. "Hank, could you please call Colonel Carter to your office? I have a question I would like to ask her."

"Yes, of course, Mr. President." If Landry thought it was weird that the President wanted to speak directly with his subordinate, he didn't say a word.

Jack watched as Hayes poured them some water from the ever present bottle while they both heard Hank call Carter to his office on the other phone.

"She'll be up in a minute, Mr. President," Landry reported.

While they waited Hayes asked Landry about his family, about any interesting gossip around the SGC (which piqued Jack's interest as well) and other nonessential topics. Finally, Landry reported that Carter entered the office.

"Hank, if you don't mind I'd like you to leave the office and let Colonel Carter speak on her own, as I'm going to thoroughly embarrass her."

Landry chuckled softly, "No problem, Sir."

Jack could just imagine Carter's wide eyes as Landry handed her the phone and insisted she sit down in his chair.

"Hello?" her shaky voice came over the speaker.

"Colonel Carter," Hayes's voice was warm, "First of all, I'd like to say it is an honor for me to speak with you directly and it is a shame that I have not done so until now."

The silence on the other end indicated just how shocked she was. Jack could imagine the shades of red slowly coloring her cheeks. And it was only going to get worse.

"Thank you, Sir. It's an honor for me too, Mr. President," her voice, less shaky and more certain told them.

"Colonel, the reason I asked to talk to you is more of a personal nature than a business one. That's why I asked General Landry to leave the room."

"Yes, sir."

Jack wondered if the President heard the question in those two words or was it just him who knew how to read every single Sir she ever uttered.

"With me here and listening is a certain General I'm certain you know well." Hayes looked up to meet Jack's eyes and nodded, indicating Jack should make his presence known.

"Carter."

"General O'Neill, Sir, it's good to hear your voice."

Hayes grinned at Jack widely.

"Yours too, Carter."

"Now, Colonel," The President went on, "I have invited Jack here to dinner at the White House with my wife and myself next weekend along with a few others from the Joint Chiefs. Now Jack is the only one who will show up without a date and we can't have that. It throws the balance of the dinner table completely off."

Jack wasn't sure if he's supposed to laugh or be mortified. He suspected it should be both.

"And I think," The President pushed on, "That he would be very happy if you would accompany him to this shindig."

By now Colonel Carter was as red as the next tomato. But the silence on the other end threw Jack's senses off and his face fell, his eyes finding the particular spot on the carpet he was standing on very interesting.

"I, uh, I would love to, Sirs," her voice broke the silence.

Jack's eyes snapped back up to the phone. "Really?"

"Yes, sir, it would be my pleasure. I just have to clear the days off with General Landry."

"Oh, consider that taken care of, Colonel," Hayes assured her.

"Thank you, Mr. President," Carter's uncertainty was long gone.

"Sam? I'll pick you up from Andrews," her former CO told her.

"That'll be nice, Sir."

"This dinner, it's on Saturday evening, would you want to come on Friday, maybe?" Jack asked her.

"I'll leave you two to talk it out," Hayes pushed away from his desk and rounded it, knowing he was no longer needed in this conversation.

Jack didn't even realize his CO had gone, so immersed in the conversation with her he was.

Hayes stopped by the door, his hand on the handle, and watched for a moment as this big shot General, head of Homeworld Security and his close friend transformed into a completely different man, one madly in love with a woman. With a chuckle he closed the door and instructed his secretary not to interfere until General O'Neill came out.


End file.
